


The Scholar

by The_Exile



Category: God Wars: Future Past (Video Game)
Genre: Banned Together Bingo, Death, Execution, Gen, Philosophy, Post-Game(s), Religion, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Exile/pseuds/The_Exile
Summary: Humanism is starting to rise in Hyuga. Momotaro is unimpressed and reacts violently, prompting an emergency intervention from Urashima.
Kudos: 1
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	The Scholar

**Author's Note:**

> for the Banned Together 2020 bingo free space, using prompt 'f*ck religious authorities' - this was inspired by music player shuffle, song 'Valley of Kings' from the ys 8 soundtrack
> 
> Note that this scenario is not in the game at all, and is also not supposed to reflect any actual events in Japanese history, which the author knows nothing about. The author is not trying to make a point, just to get the characters' personalities right.

Urashima had been expecting some sort of trouble with Momotaro for some time, so much so that he saw it as a relief when a situation cropped up that he had been required to deal with. he was furious with the man for involving any mortals in their affairs, though, never mind executing unarmed civilians over what seemed like a scholarly difference of opinion.

"Ever the naive, overly lenient ruler," Momotaro had sighed when Urashima demanded an explanation, "Do you realise how powerful a weapon an idea can be? How many souls can be turned against us, how much damage can be done when our entire nation no longer supports us?"

"The philosopher was hardly preaching a violent uprising," Urashima sighed, "He merely suggested that humanity could stand to become more independent from the Gods, who, after all, cause such chaos when they become disharmonious, and who are drifting steadily apart from the mortal world, especially the older, major deities. I agree, in part, that it would do them good to stand on their own two feet, in times to come."

"Do you not see that you're already being drawn in by the old man's charisma, even after his death? This is treason against you he is proposing!"

"If so, then maybe you should not have made a martyr of him. I have heard it often inspires mortals to support someone more, instead of pushing them away. Or," Urashime mused, "There may already be enough energy in the air around one place to have formed a minor deity, which we are only feeding with sacrifices."

"A deity... of humanism?" Momotaro raised an eyebrow.

"Humans are animals; they can have deities of their own, with interests that do not always align with everyone else. Some humans seen to believe they are somehow special, and can live apart from the deities and natural order altogether, but they will learn in time that they are only starting to stake their place as a faction of their own within the celestial order."

"If so, they will challenge us."

"And we will fight them fairly, as the honourable warriors we are; not cut down their civilians. We're too strong to have to resort to such underhand tactics."

"You have no seen the sort of chaos that humanity can breed, if they think they do not have to obey the rules of the natural order. The machines they build, the forests they cut down, the forbidden secrets of eternal life and divine creation that they try to uncover without a thought to what an impact it will have..."

"Then they will find out the bad consequences such behaviour also has for them. You would think that the last war gave them a newfound respect for how dangerous an upheaval of natural order can be."

"The lessons of war are quickly forgotten in times of peace and complacency. This goes for us as well as them."

"If you're worried about the secrets, go and guard them, or set someone to the task. Do not waste both our times aggravating the populace and causing me unnecessary trouble."

"Just tell me that you will at least watch this philosophical uprising, that you won't let it get too out of hand."

"So you admit you haven't stopped it," he sighed, "Alright, but I want that man's soul given some sort of compensation. Maybe a place in the celestial bureaucracy will also make him too busy to cause trouble, or even show him that we deities are quite busy and are not just trying to arbitrarily impose our will upon humanity."


End file.
